28 January 2008

Details of a new €31.2 million investment in an SFI Equipment Call were announced today by Micheál Martin, TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The goal of this 2007 Equipment Call is to accelerate and enhance research output and quality from both SFI and non-SFI-funded researchers through a significant investment in additional resources and infrastructure in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).

As part of this, DCU researchers received more than €3,000,000 for vital research equipment.  This is far in excess of the funding received by other, similar sized, Universities.

Speaking at the board meeting, Minister Martin, commented "SFI has made outstanding progress in 2007 and has established itself as an organisation with an international reputation for funding quality research. Operating at the heart of Ireland’s knowledge economy, it is making excellent progress in implementing Government policy to establish Ireland as an international location for scientific research. SFI actively encourages researchers to collaborate with industry and to date over 300 companies are involved in various levels collaboration with SFI backed researchers".

"Measures such as the SFI Centres for Science, Engineering and Technology (CSETs), [where DCU has been very successful this year; see link] and Strategic Research Clusters (SRCs) provide the mechanisms for new innovative research and entrepreneurial leadership and real opportunities for re-shaping Ireland’s economy through science. These collaborations therefore, are central to the Government’s long-term economic strategy in building Ireland’s new knowledge-driven economy” he concluded.

A full breakdown of the SFI Equipment Call awards is available here.

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